This application claims a foreign priority from German Application No. 198 41 173.1, filed Sep. 9, 1998.
Mechanical volume measurement of gases and fluids is performed using turbines, bellow systems, piston systems and rotameters.
An important feature of volume measurement is the precise measurement of gas or liquid volumes without impairing effects upon pressure and flow dynamics of the volumes to be measured.
The simplest procedure is to fill an unknown amount of a gas or liquid into a vessel with a known volume. If pistons and cylinders or bellows are used, the volume to be measured is filled into the measuring chamber, and unloaded after measurement. The filling and unloading process requires flow regulating valves, which are in most cases driven in a two cycle mode. As a consequence the gas flow is frequently disrupted. Turbine volumeters are used to measure gas flows continuously. The volume to be measured is driven against a turbine and derived from a revolution counter. Procedures using turbine effects are additionally afflicted by flow dynamic factors like velocity and mass of the volume driven upon the turbine. The gas volume is derived from the amount of rotations, which were performed. If the gas flow is interrupted, the turbine should be stopped. The inertia of the system causes both a retarded starting when the gas volume begins to flow, and a retarded resting if the gas flow has been stopped. That is why a number of flow interrupts or flow changes decrease the accuracy. Other systems providing flow measurements are rotameters. In rotameters a continuous gas volume flows through a tube with an increasing diameter, the position of an indicator, which occludes the minimal diameter of the tube, indicates the amount of the volume flow passing through the system. The accuracy of the system depends on a constant flow. Rotameters directly obtain a volume flow per time but not a volume.
The invention refers to a procedure and a device for the movement and/or the measurement of fluid or gas volumes, characterized by at least two alternately cycling pistons or blades, built into a rotation parabolic shaped vessel, turning around one pivot point, whereas the volume to be measured is filled into a space between one of the piston/blades which is held at a fixed position and the other movable piston/blade; wherein rotationally at least, the one piston is held fixed and at least the other piston is moved. A respirator for carrying out the invention for the movement, measurement and regulation of the respiration gas includes a gas containing system comprising a plurality of gas bags one inserted into the other.
In an alternative example of the invention the pistons are not pivoted, but are circling in a tubular pipe system, which can be circular, while a volume to be measured is moved into a space between at least one of the pistons, which is held at a fixed position and at least the other second, piston, which is movable.
An additional example is characterized by at least two alternately cycling bellows, which are connected with each other, with the two bellows forming furthermore a circular structure, which is subdivided by completion plates into at least two chambers. A volume, which is moved into one of the bellows is compensated by an outflow of an aliquot volume from the other of the bellows. Completion plates of the bellows are alternately moved and held tight.
In an additional arrangement a flow driven motor or generator is derived from the feature of pistons or plates rotating in a rotation shaped vessel.
In an additional arrangement, the procedure and/or the device can be used as a pump, if the system is supplied by outward energy.